1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magnetotherapeutic devices, and more particularly to muscle and/or joint wraps incorporating static magnetic field generators in the form of magnets to provide magnetotherapy to adjacent tissues.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetotherapy uses magnetic fields to provide therapeutic and restorative treatment to limbs, organs, and other parts of the body. Generally, one means by which magnetotherapy may be achieved is by bringing a magnet or a series of magnets into close proximity with the affected body part or organ of interest. As is known according to Faraday""s Law of Magnetic Induction, as well as the Hall Effect, charged particles experience a force acting on them when they move through a magnetic field in a perpendicular direction. Since human blood is replete with ions and electrolytes, it has many charged molecules, particles, and the like which experience a force, including an aligning force, when moving through a magnetic field. When exposed and caused to so travel through a magnetic field, such ions and electrolytes may generate heat, causing the associated blood vessel to widen. The widening of the blood vessel would then allow increased volumes of blood to flow through the blood vessel.
Polar molecules (such as water) also respond to magnetic fields in a manner similar to that for charged molecules. Additional therapeutic or restorative effects might arise through the alignment of polar molecules as they pass through the magnetic field. When subject to a magnetic field, polar molecules rotate to align themselves with the field. Such alignment would alternate with the magnetic polarity as the polar molecules traveled through different regions of such magnetic polarity. The mechanical motion of the rotation of such polar molecules might also cause heating and the like and would also stimulate, mix, or agitate the blood in a gentle manner, causing it to gently churn. Such mixing of the blood at the molecular level may cause it to more easily recognize foreign matter. By recognizing foreign matter, the blood and/or immune system may be able to more readily address such foreign matter.
Several patents are known having various designs for the alternation of magnets of different polarity to provide spatially diverse magnetic fields. The patent to Latzke (U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,711 issued Dec. 25, 1984) and the patents to Ardizzone (U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,692 issued Jan. 11, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,072 issued May 7, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,495 issued Jul. 23, 1996) all disclose a variety of magnetic plaster and magnetic pads having certain magnetic geometries in order to achieve spatially varying magnetic fields through the use of magnets.
In the past, the only way to offer or provide both mechanical support and magnetic therapy was to insert magnets between a brace and the associated body joint. Recently, stronger static magnetic materials have become more readily available in the commercial market. Particularly, permanent magnets incorporating the element neodymium (atomic number 60) provide strong magnetic fields at common temperatures (below 120xc2x0 F./50xc2x0 C.). Such magnets can be incorporated into flexible fabrics or the like to provide a flexible material suitable for wrapping around joints. By using flexible and/or elastic materials such as NEOPRENE(copyright), a magnetotherapeutic joint wrap previously unseen in the art could be realized.
While certain portions of the human body have been emphasized as being subject to the use of magnetotherapeutic devices, it remains to be seen in the art to provide such magnetotherapy in the form of a wrap or the like for joints. Additionally, strong, magnetic material used in such joint wraps could be used in an eye or face mask incorporating such magnetotherapeutic elements. It can be seen, therefore, that it would be of some advantage to provide magnetotherapeutic aid to a person""s joints, eyes, and/or face, particularly while the person rests or sleeps as such magnetotherapeutic treatment could then be effected for a period of several hours without interfering with a person""s daily and ongoing activities.
The present invention provides a wrap by which magnetotherapy may be applied to joints and adjacent tissues. A sheet of magnetic material, preferably of a highly magnetic material, is both flexible and elastic. Preferably, this highly magnetic flexible sheet has alternating polarity along its course so that travel in any direction becomes subject to alternating polarity. Strong magnets in the shapes of triangles, squares, and/or series of concentric circles may be used to provide such alternating polarity.
In the preferred embodiment, the strong source of magnetism incorporated into the magnetic wrap for joints of the present invention may arise from the use of neodymium-based magnets which may be incorporated into NEOPRENE(copyright) or the like. By providing a flexibly elastic highly magnetic sheet of material having alternating magnetic polarities, a joint about which such a magnetic sheet is wrapped becomes subject to significant magnetotherapy. Magnetic ferrite may also be used in the place of the neodymium-based magnets.
In order to better accommodate the joint, an aperture may be cut or fashioned in the sheet of magnetic material so as to accommodate the joint. Such an aperture may accommodate a joint such as a knee, elbow, shoulder, or the like.
Additionally, in order to hold the magnetic wrap for joints of the present invention in place, attachments or attachment elements holding the magnetic sheet in place may be strategically positioned upon the sheet and may take the form such as VELCRO(copyright) hook and fasteners, or the like. Buttons, snaps, and other fasteners may also be used to good advantage.
Additionally, beyond the use of strong, neodymium-based magnetics in alternating polarity configurations for use in joint wraps, face masks and eye masks may also incorporate such strong magnets so as to provide greater magnetotherapeutic effect for adjacent tissues. Such face masks have been disclosed in part in prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/911,950 filed Aug. 15, 1997 which is incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetotherapeutic wrap for joints.
It is another object of the present invention to provide highly magnetic magnetotherapy for such joints.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide strong magnetotherapeutic joint wraps for joints with such joint wraps having alternating magnetic polarity.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide face and eye masks incorporating strong magnets so as to apply magnetotherapeutic treatment upon adjacent tissues.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.